Extension-table.



S. KJELLGHEN.

EXTENSION TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3. 1914.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

a; 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

(y OWL @ZMM COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH C0,,WAsmNG10N. D. C.

S. KJELLGREN.

EXTENSION TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3. 1914.

1,148,907. Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

r297 J 2 SHEET$-$HEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANoun/WH C0., WASHINGTON. D. c.

pnrrnn stra ns ra'irniv'r orsron.

SAMUEL KJELLGREN, or ROC FORD, ILLINOIS, assrslvon or ONE-HALF T0 nooxronn CHAIR & FURNITURE COMPANY, or ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A GORPDRA'IION or ILLINOIS.

EXTENSION-TABLE.

Specification of I .etters Patent.

Patented'Aug'. 3', 1915.

Application inea Julie 3, 1914. Serial No. 842,748.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL KJIJLLGR'EN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of lVinnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Extensionf Tables, of which the following is a specification.

This invention and more particularly to extension table's wherein the tabletop is composed of relatively movable sections adapted to be moved to extended positions to provide a larger table top area. 1

One of the primary objects of my, invention is to provide folding supporting legs for extensible table top-sections, and to provide novel means for automatically moving tie legs to operative and inoperative positions upon movement of the table top-sections to extended and closed positions respectively. I

Another object is to provide leg operating means of simple construction so that these means will be inexpensive to manufacture,

and to arrange the movable parts of the leg operating means 'so thatthey Wlll form a durable and practical structure. I

A further object of 'my invention is to provide means for automatically locking the legs in their raised position, wherein the weight of the legs will effect the locking.

A further object is to provide an extensible top-section withsupporting drop-leg mechanism constructed so as to permitthe top-section to be extended any desirable distance, and to serve as a support for the topsection during movement of the same While it is in an extended position.

A further object is to provide top-section supporting legs and means for operating them, of such construction that they may be readily and easily applied to tables having varying numbers of slide extensions.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view taken on the line 11 of Fig. 2 of an extensiontable embodying my invention, one or the top-sections of the table being shown in an' extended andthe other in a. closed or inner position. Fig. 2 is a ver relates in general to tables a partially closed position. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 "show the top-section in different successive stages of its movement to a closed position, the latter figure showing the section completely closed and the legs locked in folded position, and Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse sectional View taken on the line 77 of Fig. 2.. a x 7 Extension tables which have their tops divided into sect-ions movable relatively to vary thesize of the table top, are provided with telescoping slides which slidably connect the table to'psectioi1s and permit r'elative movement thereoflthe number of slides differing in various tables depending upon the size and desired extensions of the table. While I have illustrated my invention on the drawings-as applied to an extension table having double slide extensions, it will be obvious that my improved supporting legs and the means for operating them aredesigned to be applicable to extension tables embodying any number of slides without changing the table or slide construction.

The table illustrated is of the well known extension type comprising a base 8, a pedestal or support 9, a cross-board11 carried by the pedestal, slides carried by the crossboard, and table top-sections 12 and 13 carriedby the slides. The slides include stationary members 14: fixed to the top-board slidable from a closed to an extended position, and vice versa. 7

Each top-section is provided with a pair of legs for supporting the sections when they are in theirextended positions, and with means for automatically moving the legs to loweredand raised positions during movement of the top-sections to extended and closed-positions respectively. Since the supporting legs and means for operating the same of each top-section are similar, I will describe in detail the construction and operation of only those associated with the top-section 12, like reference numerals applying to like parts of each top supporting device." i

,A IOCkSl1L1it 17 is mounted transversely of the slides in bearings 18 carried by the top-section 12, and has fixedly connected to the ends thereof legs 19 and 20, each of which is provided at its lower end with a caster-wheel 21. The leg 20 has an arm 22 extending beyond its connection with shaft 17, adapted to be operated to rock said shaft and swing the legs to their several positions. The means for operating arm 22, which means may be termed leg operating means, comprise a longitudinally slidable rod 23 mounted inlguide-brackets 24 and 25 fixed to the top-section and the outer side of the slide member 16, said rod being pivotally connected to the arm 22 through the intermediary of a link 26 pivotally connected at its opposite ends 30 and 30 to ends of said arm and rod respectively. The rod 23 has a roller 27 at its link-connected end adapted to roll upon the under face of the top 12 and guide the rod end as it. is moved longitudinally to effect operation of the supporting legs. The longitudinal movement .of the rod is positively controlled by co6peration of the rod with cam-faces or guides during movement of the table top-section to its,

several positions, as will be hereinafter described.

lVhen the table top-section 12 is in its extended position shown in Fig. 2, the leg 20 will be in an upright supporting position and the rod 23 will be held from longitudinal movement in one direction by its roller 27 abutting the guide-bracket 25 and from longitudinal movement in the opposite direction by engagement of its downturned end 28 with the stop 29 which is fixedly attached to the slide member 15. It will thus be observed that the legs are securely locked in theirupright position. To further assist in locking the legs in this position the rod 23 is provided with a recess or notch 31adapted to engage with the guide-bracket 24. It will be seen that when the top-section 12 is moved inwardly, that is, in a closing direction, the rod 23 will be retainedin its locked position by engagement with the guidebracket 24, thus maintaining the legs in an upright and supporting position during movement of thetop-section inwardly... The top-section is supported in this manner until it has been moved inward a predetermined distance, whereupon the rod 23 will be operated automatically to swing the legs to'a raised position adjacent the underside of the table top. This operation of the rod is effected by the end 28 of the rod riding upon the inclined camface 32 carried by the cross-board 11-, so as to elevate the inner end of the rod to disengage its notch 31 from the guide-bracket 29,- as, shown in Fig. 3;

When the rod end is moved inwardly until itabuts the raised end 33 of said cam-face, continued inward movement of the table have moved past vertical alinement with the pivotal connection 30 between the rod and leg 20. When the roller end has passed this alinement and is limited from further movement by the stop 35, the upward movement of the legs will be stopped, and weight of I the suspended legs will effect locking of the legs in their raised position; in fact, a toggle-lock is effected as is shown by the relation of the several parts in Fig. 5. During the latter part of the longitudinal movement of the rod, its end 28 will be raised from engagement with the stop 33 by the rod having an inclined cam-face 34 which rides upon the guide-bracket 24 by said movement of the rod, effecting raising of the rod end at approximately the same time the legs have reached their raised locked position, the relative position of the parts at this stage of the top-section closing movement being clearly shown in Fig. 5. With the legs thus raised and locked, the topsection may be moved to its closed position shown in Fig. 6.

When moving the table top-section to its extended position the legs will be carried raised until the down-turned rod end 28 strikes the stop 29 carried by slide member 15, thereby moving the rod longitudinally in the direction opposite to the top-section movement and carrying roller-end 30 to the opposite side of vertical alinement with the pivot 30, whereupon the legs will drop to an upright position. A coiled spring 36 mounted upon shaft 17 and having its opposite ends attached respectively to the shaft and a bracket 18, serves to cushion the dropping of the legs so that the caster-wheels and leg mechanism will not be injured when the caster-wheels strike the floor. The slide members 15 will be limited in their outward movement when they reach the position shown in Fig. 1, by suitable stop means (not shown) the use and construction of which are well known in the art. The eX- tended position of top-section 12 is deter mined by engagement of the rod end '28 with the fixed stop 29 as shown in Fig. 2, wherein the roller 27 abuts the bracket 25 and the rod-notch 31 engages with the bracket 24 therebylocking the top-section from further extension and the legs in their upright position.

l/Vhile I have illustrated my improvements attached to a table having double extensible slide members-it is my intention to use my improvements with tables having either single slide extensions or a greater number than is shown in the drawings. In the former case, which would in fact be an elimination of the slide membersl5, it will be manifest that with the table top-section extended the rod end 28 would be located adjacent to the cam '82, so that raising of the legs would be commenced at a very short interval after initial movement of the top: section inwardly. In using a plurality of any number of slide members to permit greater extension of the table top, the opera tion of the supporting legs would be as that described in detail above, it being obvious that any number of intermediate slide members may be used, the stop 29 always being carried by the slide member associated with the table top-connected slide member.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an extension table, the combination of a central support, an extendible top-sectionmounted thereon, a supporting leg pivotally mounted on the top-section, and means for automatically moving the sup porting leg to raised and lowered positions by moving the top-section with respect to the central support, said means including a rod mounted on the top-section to slide longitudinally thereon, a link pivotally connecting the outer end of the rod and the supporting leg and arranged to move past a dead center position with respect to the topsection when the rod has been moved with respect to the top-section to its most outward position so as to eiiect locking of the leg in raised position, abutment means mounted on the central support in the path of the inner end of the rod whereby when the top-section is moved inwardly said inner end of the rod will abut against the last named means and effect swinging of the leg to raised locked position, and means for disengaging said inner end of the rod from said abutment means to permit the top-section to be further moved inwardly.

2. In an extension table, the combination of a central support, an extendible top-sec-' tion mounted thereon, a supporting leg piv-' otally mounted on the top-section, a member carried by the top-section to move longitudinally thereon, a link pivotally con necting the outer end of said member and the supporting leg and arranged to be moved past a dead center position with respect to the vertical by movement of said member longitudinally to swing the leg to raised position, means for locking said member fixedly from longitudinal movement with respect to the top-section when the same is ex tended and the supporting leg is 1n lowered position, cam means carried by the support and with which the inner end of said member cooperates when the top section is moved its said locked position, and means for moving the member longitudinally relative to the top-section to move the leg to its raised position and thereby move said link past said dead center position to effect locking of the leg in raised position.

3. In an extension table of the character described, an extendible table top-section, a supporting leg pivotally mounted on the top-section, a member mounted to move longitudinally on the top-section, a link pivotally connecting said member with the leg so that the latter will be swung on its pivot by longitudinal movement of said member with respect to the top-section, said link being arranged to move past a dead center position with respect to the vertical when the leg has been moved to raised position by outward movement of said member, and

means for stopping said member from movingoutwardly when the link has been moved past said dead center whereby to effect looking of the leg in raised position.

4,. An extension table of the character set forth, having means for automatically moving a table top-section supporting leg to lowered and raised positions by movement of tl1e tabletop-sectidn to extended and inner positions, respectively, comprising, in combination, a legconnected member mounted to slide longitudinally on the topsection for swinging the leg to raised and lowered positions, means for locking said member fixed from longitudinal movement with respect to the topsection when the same is in its extended position and the leg is in lowered top-supporting position, stationary cam means for operating directly upon the inner end of said member as the same is moved inwardly by movement of the top-section inwardly for releasing said member from locked position, and means I for sliding the member longitudinally on the top-section to raise the leg.

'5. An extension table of the character set forth, having means for moving a table topsection supporting-leg to lowered and raised positions automatically by moving the top-section to extended and inner positionsres'pectively, comprising, in combination, a member mounted to slide longitudinally on the top-section to operate the leg, means including a pivotal link connection between the outer end of said member and the leg arranged to maintain said member, withthe top-section in its inner position and the leg raised, locked from leg-operating movement in one direction wherebv the leg is maintained locked in its raised position but movable in the opposite direction toeffect lowering of the leg, and means having no permanent operating connection with said member for moving said member longitudinally with respect to the top-section in said opposite direction during movement of the top-section to its extended position wherebysaid member will release said link from looking position, thus permitting the leg to swing to loweredposition. V

6. In an extension table, the combination of a support, a table top-section slidably mounted thereon to move laterally toward and away from the support, a supporting leg pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the top-section, a rod slidably mounted intermediate its ends on the top-section so as to move longitudinally thereon in the direction ofthe top-section movement, a roller mounted on the outer end of the rod to roll upon the underside of the top-section, a link connecting. said roller end of the rod' with the upper end oi": the leg whereby the leg will be swung on its pivot when the rod is in upright position, and stationary cammeans arranged in the path of the inner end of the rod and with which said end engages when the top-section is moved inwardly, for releasing the rod from its locking position and for moving the rod longitudinally with respect to the top-section to swing the leg to raised position.

7 In an extension table, the combination of a central support,a top-section movable laterally toward and away from the support, a supporting leg pivotedv intermediate its ends on the top-section, a rod connected at one end to the upper endof the leg and carried longitudinallymovable on the top-section, means holding the rod from longitudinal movement and thereby holding the leg locked in upright position whereby the topsection may be moved toward the support with its supporting leg locked from swing ing in either direction, stationary means located in the path of the inner end of the rod for moving the same out of its locking position when the top-sectionhas, been moved inwardly and for preventing longitudinal movement of the rod with respect to the support whereby upon continued inward movement of the top-section its supporting leg willbe swung to raised position.

8. In an extension table, the combination of a central support, a top-section movable laterally toward and away from the sup port, a supporting leg pivotally mounted on the top-section, a longitudinally movable rod carried by the top-section, a link connecting the outer end of the rod with the leg and being so arranged that when the rod has position, whereby the top-section may be moved toward and away from the central support with the leg locked up, and means for preventing longitudinal movement of;

' the rod-outwardly withrespeot to the cento swing to lowered top-supporting position.

9. In an extension table, the combination of a central support, an extension top-section, a supporting leg pivotally mounted on the top-section, a longitudinally movable rod arranged beneath the top-section to move in the direction of the sliding movement thereof, the rod being connected at its outer end with the leg for swinging the same to raised and lowered positions by longitudinal move ment relative to the top-section, means carried by the top-section for locking the rod against longitudinal movement when the leg is lowered whereby to lock the leg in topsupporting position, cam-means mounted on the central support in the path of the inner end of the rod for releasing the same from: its locked position when the top-section has been moved inwardly a predetermined distance, and means for preventing inward movement of the rod whereby upon continued inward movement of the top-section the leg will be swung to raised position.

10. In an extension table, the combination of a central support, an extension top-sec tion, a supporting leg pivotally mounted on the top-section to move in the direction of the sliding movement thereof, the rod being connected at its outer end with the leg for swinging the same to raised and lowered positions by longitudinal movement relative to the top-section, means carried by the topsection for locking the rod against longitudinal movement when the leg is lowered whereby tolock the leg in top-supporting position, said locking of the rod being broken by bodily movement of the rod out of its locked position, means carried by the central support for moving the rod bodily to break said look when the top has been moved inwardly a predetermined distance, and means for preventing longitudinal movement of the rod with respect to the central support whereby the leg will be swung to raised position upon continued inward movement of the top-section.

11. In an extension table, the combination of a central support, an extension top-section, a supporting leg pivotally mounted on the top-section, a longitudinally movable rod arranged beneath the top-section to move in the direction of the sliding movement thereof, the rod being connected at its outer end with the leg for swinging the same to raised and lowered positions by longitudinal movement relative to the top-section, means carried by the top-secti0n for locking the rod supporting position and to permit the topsection to be moved in and out with the leg thus locked, means for releasing therod from said locked positionwhen the top,.-sec 1 tion has been moved inwardly a predetermined distance, and means for preventing v inward movement of the rod With respect to 1 tion mounted thereon, a supporting leg plvthe central support after the release of the rod, for raising the leg by continued inward movement of the top-section.

12. In an extension table, thecombination' of a central support, an extension top-sec swinging the same to raised and lowered po- I sitions by movementlongitudinally, means for so holding the leg locked in raised position that the top-section may be moved outwardly without lowering the leg, and a single means for moving the rod longitudinally to lower the leg when the table has been moved outwardly a predetermined distance and for determining the extent of the outward movement of the top-section.

18. In an extension table, the combination of a pedestal, a double extension slide mounted thereon, a top-section fixedly connected to the most extendible section of said slide, a supporting leg pivotally mounted on the top-section, means carried by the topsection for swinging the leg to raised and lowered positions, means for locking the leg in raised position whereby the top-section may be moved inwardly and outwardly with the leg locked up, and means fixed on the slide section upon which the first named slide section is mounted for actuating the first named means when the top-section has been moved outwardly a predetermined distance, whereby to release the leg from raised position and cause the leg to be swung to a top-supporting position.

14. In an extension table, the combination of a central support, an extendible top-section mounted thereon, a supporting leg pivotally mounted on the top-section, a longitudinally movable rod carried by the topsection and connected at its outer end with the leg whereby upon longitudinal movement of the rod with respect to the top section the leg will be swung to raised and lowered positions, the rod being provided intermediate its ends with a notch adapted to be engaged by an element fixed with respect to the top-section when the leg is lowered to its supporting position, whereby to lock the leg in sald position, abutment means carried by the central support in the path on the inner end of the rod, said inner end of the rod wbieing providedwith means adapted to engage saidabutment means when the, top-section is moved toward the central support, the abutment means being shaped to actuate said rod and move the notch out of its said locking engagement and to operate the rod to swing the leg to raised position.

I 15. In an extension table,the combination of a centralsupport, an extendible top-secotally mounted on the top-section, a longitudinally movable rod carried by the topsection and connectedat its outer end with a leg whereby upon longitudinal movement of whereby upon continued inward movement of the top-section the rod will effect swinging of the leg to raised position.

16. In an extension table, the combination of a central support, an extendible top-section slidably mounted thereon, a supporting leg pivotally mounted on the top-section, a longitudinally movable rod disposed beneath the top-section, the rod being provided at its outer end with a roller adapted to roll upon a top-section element as the rod is moved longitudinally and to permit the inner end of the rod to swing vertically upon the roller as a fulcrum, the rod being connected with the leg for swinging the same to raised and lowered positions by longitudinal movement of the rod, means for locking the rod from longitudinal movement to hold the leg in one of its operative positions, and means operable by sliding move ment of the top-section for swinging the inner end of the rod on said fulcrum to release the rod from said locking position and permit the rod to be moved longitudinally to operate the leg.

17. In an extension table, the combination of a central support, an extendible top-section slidably mounted thereon, a supporting leg pivotally mounted on the top-section, a longitudinally movable rod disposed beneath the top-section, a pivotal link connection between the outer end of the rod and the leg so arranged that upon movement of the top-section to its most inward position the leg will be swung to raised position and the link moved past a dead center position efi'ecting locking of the leg in said raised position, means for stopping movement of central support when the top-section is moved outwardly a predetermined distance whereby upon continued outward movement thereof the rod will release the said link from its locking position and swing the leg ing provided with an abutment, the inner end of the rod being provided with means section is moved inwardly, whereby to stop longitudinal movement of the rod with respect to the central support and swing, by continued inward movement of the top-section; the leg tosraised position and efiect through said link connection locking of the leg in said raised position. to lowered position, the central support bee r I p I SAMUEL KJELL GREN. Witnesses: v i 7 JOHN F. MGOANNA,

ETHEL LARSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' rwashington nfl. 

